1. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to the game of bowling, and more particularly to handling bowling pins and balls in the bowling alley pit area for speedy delivery of balls back to a player at an approach end of the alley.
2. Background Art
In the game of bowling, it is desirable to return a ball to a bowler as efficiently and quickly as possible. Typically, bowling ball return mechanisms are shared between adjacent alleys or lanes. Balls and pins falling into each alley pit is typically such that the removal of the ball out of the pit area is delayed. Further, the problem of keeping pins out of the ball return area and causing jams persists even in state of the art ball and pit handling equipment. As a result, the return of the ball to the player is delayed, and operation of the alley may have to stop until the jam is manually removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,600,918 discloses a bowling ball return mechanism which includes a pair of pivotally mounted check gates positioned at adjacent kickbacks of adjoining alleys wherein the gates cooperate with each other for permitting a ball from one alley to force open its gate while preventing the adjoining gate from opening. A bowling ball being ejected from one pit area under the propulsion of a driving belt develops a momentum and thus a force for opening its gate. If its momentum is greater than that of a ball ejected from the adjacent alley, it will push the gate open to a maximum position permitting the it to be directed into a common ball return. The gates are positioned near the ends of two transverse ball return guides of adjoining alleys. The purpose of the gates is to allow one ball at a time to be ejected from its respective pit area and thus prevent the balls from both of the adjacent pit areas from colliding and jamming at the juncture of rear guide rails and the common center return.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,699,944 discloses a ball return mechanism for use between adjacent bowling alleys also comprising dual gates, one for each alley. A bowling ball delivered to its gate, forces the gate open under the force of its weight against the gate and is delivered into a ball return mechanism. Each gate is pivotal from an arm. The respective arms are connected by springs so that the gates are urges constantly too their closed positions. The gates deflect pins driven from the alley pin deck. When a gate is moved to an open position by a ball, movement of the adjacent gate is blocked until the ball which is holding the gate open is moved into a ball driving mechanism for return to the bowler.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,322 discloses an oscillating paddle positioned between the kickbacks of adjacent alleys for serving both alleys. The kickbacks have openings through which a ball may roll from the pit to a ball lift and return mechanism. The paddle is moved back and forth between the openings in each kickback so that pins entering the opening will not interfere with the ball lift mechanism. If a pin moves into the opening in the kickback when there is no ball ahead of it, the oscillating paddle will push the pin back into the pit so that a pin conveying mechanism within the pit area can deliver the pin to an elevating mechanism for delivery of the pin for pin setting.